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‘Lionel Messi’s chapter isn’t over at Barcelona’: Club president Joan Laporta
Lionel Messi left Barcelona for PSG in the summer of 2021 as a free agent after he failed to reach a contract agreement with the Catalan outfit.
One year ago, the football world was left stunned as Lionel Messi departed Barcelona, joining Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent ahead of the 2021-22 season. Due to financial difficulties, Barcelona and Messi couldn't agree to a contract but with the La Liga outfit now generating funds, it looks like a return for Messi could be possible. The Argentine attacker still has a year left in his PSG contract and club president Joan Laporta believes the former captain's chapter at Barcelona is not over yet.
Speaking to ESPN, he said, "Messi was everything".
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"To Barca, he's been possibly its greatest player, the most efficient. To me he's only comparable to Johan Cruyff. But it had to happen one day. We had to make a decision as a consequence of what we inherited. The institution is in charge of players, coaches.
"I would hope that the Messi chapter isn't over. I think it's our responsibility to try to ... find a moment to fix that chapter, which is still open and hasn't closed, so it turns out like it should have, and that it has a more beautiful ending."
"As president of Barca, I did what I had to do. But also as president of Barca, and on a personal level, I think I owe him", he further added.
During his time with Barca, Messi scored 672 goals in 778 appearances, winning 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies. He also won six Ballon d'Or awards during his stint with the Spanish club. Meanwhile, he will be hoping to perform better for PSG after having scored only 11 times in his first season, where he also claimed a Ballon d'Or award.
